Jeff Jarrett says the wrestling business “is in desperate need of change in so many ways”

Maybe he’s speaking from the same handbook that you are when it comes to the idea that the formula hasn’t really changed in 30 years.

Is it time for new blood, or do you need experience right now if you’re TNA?”

Jarrett: “The business and the format of professional wrestling has not changed. I think it is in desperate need of change in so many ways, and I’ve said it since 2011 or 2012.

In that process, I have failed many times, but I think you have to have the ability to say, ‘Okay, how can I go to the powers that be, the people that are decision-makers, and sell them, convince them, show them, tee things up, and show them, hey, we can do things differently and grow this—or at least give it a shot?’

It’s salesmanship. At the end of the day, the people who control not just the purse strings, but the decisions, they haven’t changed.

You look at a Nick Khan [WWE President], and he moved into that seat, obviously after Vince [McMahon]. His revenues have gone up. So I think if me and Nick sat down, he could make a hell of a convincing argument and say, ‘No, Jeff, look at the revenues. The format doesn’t need changing at all.’ It’s hard for me to argue that.

On the flip side of that, you could say, ‘Yes, revenues are growing, but are we growing the audience?’ He’s growing revenues, but are we growing the audience?

Then all of a sudden you get into spinning numbers, not spinning numbers, what’s real, and the transition we’re in right now. Conrad, that Mark Cuban statement—you know, in a lot of ways the NFL changed the game because they made ratings irrelevant and subscriptions became the focus.

We’re in that transition of ratings, metrics, barometers, and what really matters—what would dictate a change or force a change. We’re in that transition where ratings are no longer number one. It’s retention, it’s streams, and all of that, which gets into revenue.

I don’t want to say it’s convoluted, but it’s a much cloudier picture. That’s where experience sitting in the seat will always win out.

You asked whether you stick with new ideas or stick with experience. Most often, experience will overrule because they’re going to say, ‘Hey man, I’ve got to protect and stick with what’s working.’

The reason you can say it’s working is because it’s worked in the past. The real metrics are so far from an exact science now. It’s never really been an exact science, but because of where the business is today, it’s even harder.

Again, with WWE, you can’t even give a measurable and say, year-over-year, let’s look at live events or non-televised events and compare them. The landscape has changed too much.”